Rene Douglas honored by National Turf Writers and Broadcasters
ARCADIA, Calif. – Rene Douglas, who competed frequently on the Southern California circuit during an outstanding 26-year riding career, was honored with the second annual Bill Mooney Award during the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters awards dinner Wednesday night in nearby Altadena.
Douglas, 49, was paralyzed from the waist down in a 2009 spill at Arlington Park, where he was the perennial leading rider in his later career. The Mooney Award goes to a person in racing who displays courage “in the face of tremendous adversity.”
Other honorees at the dinner were Russell Baze, the Mr. Fitz Award for typifying the spirit of racing; the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the Joe Palmer Award for long and meritorious service to racing; Dave Johnson, the Jim McKay Award for broadcasting excellence; and Hank Wesch, the Walter Haight Award for career excellence in turf writing.